WHITE SAND TRAVEL

The Romantic at heart is always looking for the ideal occasion and setting to dazzle each other. And why not? As we celebrate love, romance is intertwined with really creating the right setting to express to each other our inner thoughts and feelings. Can you imagine a honeymoon where romance is not front and center? I can not.

Rockhouse is a boutique hotel stretching across the cliffs of Pristine Cove in Negril. The resort, nestled amongst eight acres of tropical lush gardens, boasts a 60-foot cliff-top horizon pool and an award winning restaurant set on a balcony suspended directly over the water. Thatched roofed villas with private sun-bathing decks perch on the cliff's edge, and throughout the property, ladders and stairs carved into the rock lead down to easy water access for swimming and snorkeling on the reef.

A newly constructed Spa, has a philosophy that is a simple, holistic approach to well-being, health and happiness. Spa treatments are undertaken "on-the-rocks" in the cliff-edge Massage Cabana, at the Caribbean Drench hut, inside the eight room garden spa, or can be arranged in the privacy of your guest room. Yoga classes are offered daily in the recently built yoga room.

Rockhouse is consistently ranked one of the top resorts in the Caribbean. In 2008 Rockhouse is nominated for three World Travel Awards including best Boutique Hotel in the Caribbean for the 4th consecutive year. In 2008 Conde Nast Traveler's "Gold List" and "Best in the World; Readers Choice Awards" both included Rockhouse in the "Top 25 Caribbean Resorts", as does the Travel + Leisure in the "T+L 500 World's Best Hotels". Patricia Schults names Rockhouse as one of the "1000 Places to See Before You Die" in her New York Times Best Selling Book, and Kay Showker features Rockhouse in her book "100 Best Resorts in the Caribbean."

The hotel is located on the cliffs, two and a half miles west of Negril town on Negril's West End Road. The hotel is sited on the western most point of Jamaica – the best spot for sunsets. The closest major international airport is Montego Bay, just over an hour away.

Don't just sit there looking at glossy magazines - make it happen!

Real life is the enemy of sexiness. Real life is a bad economy, mortgage worries, global warming. Sexiness is the act of shedding worries and slipping off the constraints of real life. Thinking of something sexy? How about the total escape that comes only with an island, preferably one that's not merely physically set apart from the mainland but that feels a million miles away? The type where inhibitions are lessened, the locals friendlier and more open-minded, and where less actually is more. Or where you and your partner can forget about the horrors of the boring old real world and get back to sexy.

MY CHOICE OF SEXY ISLAND ---- ANGUILLA

Anguilla's gorgeous beaches are hard to be at, and the best is arguably the two-mile-long, white-sand-carpeted Shoal Bay East. Maybe you are looking for that uniqiue resort. Look no further.

Kú offers a fun, more affordable alternative to the posh and pricey properties along the island's western shores. "If it's quiet and privacy you're looking for, Kú is not the place for you," says general manager Delroy Lake. And that's readily apparent from the lively restaurant to the mix of locals and guests crowding the bar. Located on Shoal Bay East, one of Anguilla's best beaches, Kú features 27 one-bedroom suites, each with an open living/kitchen area and a patio or balcony. The decor lacks the slickness of the island's pricier properties, but does well by keeping to a clean white-on-white shabby chic look with splashes of lime and turquoise. To ensure a full night's sleep, request the suites farthest from the bar and Kuyah, an open air restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner under Jamaican Chef Deon Thomas.

Lunches include lots of salads and sandwiches, while dinner features typical upscale island fare with Eurasian accents, such as tuna tartare with wasabi ginger sorbet, and a whole reef fish grilled with okra and marjoram. Deon sometimes spreads himself a bit too thin—be sure to order your fish "rare," unless you like it overcooked island-style. But all in all, Ku adequately compensates for any minor inconveniences with its spirited vibe, friendly efficient staff, and onsite amenities, including a dive shop, convenience store, and boutique.

Whether you are seasoned travelers or first-time cruisers, these tips can ensure that your cruise experience is everything it should be:

1. Arrive A Day Early: Unless you live within two or three hours of the pier, it's advisable to spend the night before your departure at a hotel close to the pier. That way, you take away the risk of missing the ship.

2. Inside Or Outside Room: Rooms on board the ship come in many different shapes, sizes, and locations, some even include a balcony. Your budget will dictate in large part the type of room you choose.

3. Location Of The Room: The location of the room (meaning the front, middle, or the back of the ship) can make a difference in the amount of movement you experience while in your room. If you suffer from sea sickness, you'll do much better if you book a room towards the middle. The same is true for choosing a room lower in the boat as opposed to on one of the higher levels. To be safe, pack Dramamine.

4. Carry-On Luggage: A porter will greet you at the pier in some cases before you check in and take your luggage. Carry a small bag with you with for personal items . A small variety of toiletries that would enable you to freshen up, such as deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, hairbrush and hairspray, etc. is advisable.
5. Shore Excursions: The cruise ship will offer you rates for excursions at each of your destinations. Excursions will range from guided tours to scuba diving to swimming with dolphins.

6. Soft Drink Cards: Although the price of your cruise includes all of your food, soft drinks are extra.
7.Credit Cards: Be sure you have a credit card for check-in. A hold will be placed on the card for any incidental expenses you incur during the cruise.

Enjoy your experience onboard your favorite cruiseliner.

On January 12, 2009, I received a phone call from one of my clients who had just returned from his 6 night honeymoon at the Maroma Resort & Spa. His voice was very mellow as he said, "Judith, I just wanted to thank you for arranging the most amazing honeymoon we could have experienced". He told me all about their trip and then when I asked him what would he have changed about his trip and he said "Nothing".

Jason and I worked collaboratively to design and create their perfect honeymoon - the Maroma Resort and Spa. So what is so special about Maroma Resort and Spa? You don't have to imagine it. You can experience the magic and the beauty of an eternal paradise located in a breathtaking corner of the Yucatan jungle on the Riviera Maya. The natural harmony and the spiritual relationship between land and sea comes together at Maroma Resort & Spa. Here every delight has its secret language, a name and a sound breathed ritually from the heart.

The 2008 Travel and Leisure Worlds Best Awards have rated Maroma Resort and Spa as the best Hotel Spa in Latin America. Ranking them overall the fifth best Hotel Spa in the world. This list is a compendium of the best hotels as chosen by Travel + Leisure readers in their annual World's Best Awards survey. Maroma Resort & Spa was noted for their "An unwavering commitment to preserving Mayan culture," and their Kinan Spa with traditional Mayan treatments.

Maroma Resort & Spa offers a wide variety of leisure choices on and off-site. Enjoy the use of the three swimming pools, Cultural Palapa, or for something a little more active why not try diving, sport fishing, kayaking, parasailing, sailing, swimming with dolphins, or golf. The fabulous reefs surrounding Maroma invite you to see the huge variety of corals, colorful fish and extraordinary creatures that live just under the surface in our backyard.

Could this be your dream honeymoon?

Congratulations on your engagement! So, now you will hire a platoon of vendors to help you plan and execute the flawless event. Have you given any thought to where you will honeymoon? Very often, a lot of couples concentrate on the wedding and leave the honeymoon plans for later. But, we know that most couples want their honeymoon to be just as flawless as their wedding. They want to start their new life together without any hassles. Basically, we believe they want a honeymoon where they can just show up and have the time of their lives. And who could blame them. They have spent months making various decisions and attending to even the tiniest of detail about this awesome event.

Take the trivia challenge below to see what may be a good destination fit for you.

Wedding and Honeymoon Trivia

a) If your honeymoon was primarily for Romance, where would you go?
b) Which destinations are you most likely to find affordable honeymoon or destination wedding packages?
c) You are a diving or snorkeling enthusiast, where are the best conditions for your water sports?
d) Where would you go to enjoy the night life that you love so much – dancing until the wee hours of the morning?
e) Which honeymoon destination caters to your discriminating taste buds?
f) You yen for the diversity in cultures…where would you go for that experience?

Answers

a) Romance is definitely tops in Tahiti, Italy and Hawaii
b) Mexico, Las Vegas and Dominican Republic are your most affordable honeymoon or destination wedding choices
c) Your best bet for diving and/or snorkeling is Belize, Grand Cayman or Australia
d) Pack your bags for Las Vegas, New York for Brazil and have the time of your life
e) Italy, France and New York
f) Experience the culture of Italy, France and Greece

As a native of Jamaica, I was surrounded by the beautiful scenery and absolutely stunning views of the lofty mountains and beautiful fauna. At an early age, I developed an appreciation for the exotic, unique and the out-of-the-ordinary hide-away. I loved the diversity of the Jamaica culture where many different races produced quite the melting pot that Jamaica is today. As a young adult, my dream was to see as much of the world as possible.

After immigrating to the United States, we would plan one elaborate family vacation every summer with my son and a couple of his friends and then a couple mini vacations for long weekends or special occasions. I would browse through various travel magazines, study the hotel ratings and amenities and make our vacation decisions. My home became a storage area for various travel magazines, brochures etc and our photo albums were always filled with gorgeous pictures of our many vacations.

I decided to go back to college and pursue more specialized skills and earned a degree in Hospitality Management and I completed internships at hotels to gain more knowledge of the business as well as volunteer at travel agencies.

When my son got married and I helped to plan so much of the details of the wedding and rehearsal dinner, I realized that I was missing what I liked to do best – planning exciting and exotic events. I made a decision to follow my heart and deliver what I have a passion for - amazing honeymoon experiences.

I recognize that many couple have compelling needs and urgent desires and it is my job to help them uncover those needs and desires and collaborate with them to create and design the honeymoon experience that will be a manifestation of their dream. As a fun-loving, passionate, energetic and positive person, I tend to attract couples with like qualities and we have fun as we become creators of the wonderful dream of their first days together as husband and wife.

What an honor!

Honeymoon Registry is one of the hottest trends for couples getting married today. It provides an incredible opportunity for the couple to take the trip of a lifetime and have their friends and family help pay for it as a part of their wedding gift! They offer a great option for couples who already have most of the traditional items but still need wedding gifts and ideas from family members and friends. Most honeymoon registries offer a free honeymoon planner, a free website and even shower games. It works very well because more and more couples are paying for their own wedding and want to take longer and more exotic and luxurious honeymoons. Often times the couples are not able to afford these luxury honeymoons and the honeymoon registry gives the couple the option to get gifts towards their trip.

A honeymoon registry generally works just like a traditional bridal registry by allowing a couple to select elements of their honeymoon (airfare, hotel nights, meals, tours, sports, spa treatments, admissions, spending cash) that friends and family may buy for them in increments as wedding gifts.

PAMPERED CHEF
Not every couple start off their new life together having all the linen, pots, pans and rolling pins they want. Traditional wedding registries still have a place for many couples. Because quality is everything, you'll want to get first rate household gifts that will last just as long as the incredible memories of your wedding and honeymoon. So, register first with Pampered Chef for great kitchen tools and accessories!


Pampered Chef has an Exclusive product line that offers incomparable quality and superior function that you won't find at department and specialty stores. Plus, their wedding registry features personalized service and unique Registry Rewards. It is more than a registry. You get
personalized attention from a Consultant assigned to your registry.Your Consultant will answer any questions you may have, help you choose the products that are right for you, and assist you in managing your registry.

You can even arrange to have an in-home cooking show to get a close up look at how the products perform. Call today - Carolyn Fraser at 678.571.0127 or online at www.pamperedchef.biz/carolynscuisine

Summer is the most popular time for year for weddings. And, the tropical destinations are equally appealing. So, what do you do if you are are planning a wedding or honeymoon during the summer when there is always the threat of storms or hurricanes in the tropical destinations? As you know Jamaica, Mexico and Florida are very popular for weddings and unfortunately are also smack dab in the middle of hurricane territory thereby increasing the risks that wedding plans could be canceled in the event a storm hits. At this time you may be thinking you should change your wedding or honeymoon. Before you rearrange your wedding or honeymoon plans in an area prone to hurricane activity, here are some things you may consider:

Location Is Everything: White sugar sand beaches are an attractive and unforgettable place to hold a tropical wedding. Just before sunset you and your beloved will come together with your guests to exchange vows as the fiery red sun slowly sets to the west. A calm cooling breeze and the whiff of pure ocean air delights you and your wedding party who are standing or sitting there totally mesmerized at your choice of setting. Afterwards, you move indoors or over to a nearby outdoor pavilion for a celebration lasting into the early hours of the morning. However, that gentle breeze could quickly turn into a gale as the storm clouds roll in and as the surf kicks up. Now, your outdoor wedding plans are threatened and your entire wedding plans could be cancelled. You may even have to evacuate. Can you take the risk?

Preparation is the Key: Before you plan the event, find out if the resort is prepared for this kind of event. Do they have a back up generator on hand should you lose power? Will each of your vendors stick around or will they head out at the first sign of trouble? Purchase wedding insurance. Wedding insurance can cover your losses if there is bad weather, airport delays, a military call-up or a sudden illness prevents you or your intended from getting to the church on time.

Contingency Plans are Necessary: Out of town guests may have trouble arriving if airports are shut down, roads close, and hotels fill up with people fleeing the impacted area. Make certain that your guests are protected financially in the event that your wedding plans are cancelled or moved elsewhere. Encourage everyone to purchase travel insurance to cover the worst case scenarios.

Become Educated: The chance of a major tropical storm beating up your particular little spot of paradise is small. But even if a hurricane doesn't catch you right in its path, it disrupts weather patterns for miles around. Acquaint yourself with the National Weather Service’s Hurricane website (www.nhc.noaa.gov).

The key is education and contingency plans.